Transmission mechanism



C. A. GROTZ.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. I919.

1,353,390. Patented Sept. 21,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VEN TOR. CHARLES A. GROTZ A TTORNEYS.

C. A. GROTZ.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 19I9.

1 353,390. PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR. C HA PL 55 ,4. 6/?07'2 A TTORNEYS.

,C. A. GROTZ.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 25. 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

A TTORNEYS.

cur-re CHARLES A. GROTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. (how, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have madecertain new and useful Improvements in Transmission Mechanisms, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in transmission mechanism, and itconsists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a transmission mechanism, bymeans of which any speed from zero to a maximum may be obtained by themanipulation of a single member, such as a foot pedal or a lever.

A further object of my invention is to provide a transmission mechanismwhichv eliminates the bringing of gears into mesh, and the consequentnoise and wear occasioned thereby.

A .further object of my invention is to provide a transmissionmechanism, by means of which various speeds may be obtained, saidtransmission being substantially noiseless, owing to the nature of thenovel construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide transmission mechanismwhich may be used on all types of motor driven vehicles with equalfacility.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this application, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a transmissionmechanism constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows. F Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of ig. 1 is asection along the line 4-41 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 55 of Fig. 6 looking in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a. section along the line 66 of Fig. 5 looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a section along the line 77 of Fig. 6looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 8 is a detail view of asleeve. Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept 21, 1920.

Application filed .Tune 25, 1919. Serial No. 306,757.

2, I have shown therein a transmission casing 1, conslsting of upper andlower parts bolted together and inclosing' a fly wheel 2 (see Flg. 2).This fly wheel is rigidly secured to a drive shaft 3 by means of a key 4(see Fig. 6), or in any other suitable manner As will be seen from thedrawings, especially Figs. 6 and 7, the central portion of the fly wheelis cut away to provide a space 5 for a serles of crank shafts 6 6 6 and6, which are connected to piston rods 7*, 7 7 and 7 respectively, eachpiston rod being associated with a piston, such as those shown at 8 8 8and 8. The piston 8 is in a bore 9 extending inwardly from the outerperiphery of the fly wheel, similar bores 9 9 and 9 receiving thepistons 8 8 and 8? respectively. The outer end of the bores are coveredby plates 10 10", 10 and 10 respectively.

On the opposite side of the fly wheel, in almement with the shaft 3, isa driven shaft 11 which is rigidly connected with a central gear 12,said central gear being in mesh with an outer row of auxiliary gears13*, 13 13 and 13 respectively, these gears being on the exterior of thefly wheel, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The gears 13", 13 13 and 13 areconnected to the respective crank shafts 6, 6", 6 and 6. As will be seenfrom Figs. 3 and 1, there are four housings 14 14*, 14 and 1 1 securedto the fly wheel at points between gears 13 13", 13 and 13*, thesehousings being are shaped, and being provided with inlets 15 15*, 15 and15 respectively. Each housing communicates with one of the bores 10*, 1010 and 10 by means of a small passage, such as those shown at 16, 16",16 and 16 Each openswiveled connection at 26 with an operating sleeve27, which may be grooved, as shown at 28 in Fig. 2, to receive a yoke29.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation openings 16, 16, 16 and 16 thereof may be .readily understood.The bottom art of the casing 1 (see Fig. 1) 1s filled w1th oil, or thecasing may be substantially all filled with oil. Assume first that thevalves 17?, 17", 17 and 17 d are open, so as to permit a full flow ofoil into and out of the bores 9 9", 9 and 9 through the The fly Wheel 2is revolving, being driven by the shaft 3. The gears 13 13 13 and 13 arebein carried around by the movement of the y wheel, and as they passaround they roll on the central gear 11, the istons 8 8 8 and 8 workingbackwarc ly and forwardl in the bores of the cylinders, and

I pumping. the oil in and out through the if it is desired to transmitmovement to the outwardly thus causing the valves 17 17",

'. ing shaft secured to said fly wheel, a gear openings l6, l6, 16 and16. This is the condition when there is no movement trans- .mitted tothe driven shaft 11. In other words, the transmission is inneutral. Now

shaft 11, the yoke 29 is manipulated so as to force the sleeve 22inwardly. The movement of the sleeve 22 inwardly causes the sleeve 19 toturn on its axis, and to simultaneously move the links 18, 18 18 and 1817 and 1t? to begin to close the opening 16 ThllS there is 'a resistingaction to the flow of the oil through these openings, thus slowin up themovement of the gears, so that t e central gear 12 is nowdragged aroundb the load on theexternalv gears, thus causln the slow turning of thedriven shaft 11. 1%; ings 16, 16, 16 and 16 are entirely closed, therewill be no movement of the pistons whatever. In other words, the gears13, 13', 13. and '13 will not be revolving on their individual axes,butwill carry the ear 12 around with them, so as to cause the s aft 11to rotate at the same speed at which the fly wheel is being driven. Thisrepresents the maximum speed. Any speed may be imparted to the drivenshaft 11 by 'manipu I lating the yoke 29 to close-the valves or openthem to an extent to give the speed desired; 7

Obviously the yoke 29 may be operated by a foot pedal or a hand lever,or any other suitable mechanism. It will be observed that the bores orcylinders are disposed in pairs 5 mmetrically about the centralaxis ofthe y wheel, and that the pistons on the posite sides, thus aiding inthe uniform o posite sides of the axis move in unison,

his tends to equalize the force on the op-' movement of the device.Where the casing 1 is not entirely filled with oil, the position of thehousings 14"., 14", 14 and 14 permits the carrying of the'oil, which hascoltate about the central axis of the fly wheel,

is obvious that when the openthe ports or openings 16, 16", 16and 16 areabove the level of the oil in the casing. The rapid movement of the flywheel tends to keep the oil in the housings, so that the effect is thesame as if the casing 1 were completely filled with oil. v

The device described obviates the grinding noise when gears are shiftedin the ordlna transmission, and moreover, gives a flexlbility of controlinvolving speed from zero to a. maximum, instead of the usual threespeeds of the ordinary transmission mechanism.

It will be obvious that the transmission described above does not ofitself give a reverse movement. The transmission is designed to beused-in connection with any suitable 'mechanismwhich will give a forwardand reverse movement to the drive shaft 3;

-.Iclaim:

1. A transmission mechanism, comprising a casing containing ,a fluidmedium, a fly wheel disposed within the casing and having a pluralityofcylinders adapted to communicate with the fluid-containing portion ofthe casing, a piston in each cylinder, a drivcarried by the fly wheeland adapted to rorelatively to the latter, a driven shaft secured tosaid gear, a plurality of auxiliary gears arranged externally of andmeshing with said first named gear, and means for transmitting themovement of .s'aid auxiliary gears to said pistons.

2. A transmission mechanism, comprising a casing containing a fluidmedium, a fly wheel disposed within the casing and having a plurality ofcylinders adapted to commu- 5 nicate with the fluid-containing portionof the casing, a piston in eachcylinder, a driving shaft secured to saidfly wheel, a gear carried by the fly wheel and adapted to rotateabout'the central axis of the flywheel,

gearsto said pistons, and means for 'cuttlngv fofl communication betweeneach of said cylindersand said fluid-containing portion of the casing.

3. A transmission mechanism, comprising a casing containing a fluidmedium, a fly wheel disposed within the casing and having a plurality ofcylinders adapted to communicate with the fluid-containing portion ofthe casing, a piston in each cylinder, a driving shaft secured to saidflywheel, a gear carried by the fly wheel and adapted to rotate aboutthe central axis of the fly wheel,- relatively to the latter, a drivenshaft secured to said gear,.a plurality of auxiliary gears arrangedexternally of and meshing with said first named gear, means fortransmitting the movement of said auxiliary gears to said pistons, aplurality of valves for controlling the communication of the cylinderswith said fluid-containing portion of the casing, and means foractuating said valves simultaneously. I i

4. A transmission mechanism, comprising a casing, containing a fluidmedium, a fly wheel disposed within the casing and having a plurality ofcylinders adapted to communicate with the fluid-containing portion ofthe casing, a piston in each cylinder, a driving shaft secured to saidfly wheel, a gear carried by the fly wheeland adapted to rotate aboutthe central axis of the fly wheel, relatively to the latter, a drivenshaft secured to said gear, a plurality of auxiliary gears arrangedexternally of and meshing with said first named gear, means for trans-vmitting the movement of said auxiliary gears to said pistons, aplurality of valves tor controlling the communication of the cylinderswith said fluid-containing portion of the casing, and means foractuating said valves simultaneously, said last named means beingadjustable to cause the valves to assume any position between'the openand the'closed position.

5. A transmission mechanism, comprising a casing containing a fluidmedium, .a fly wheel disposed within the casing and having a pluralityof cylinders, a piston in each cyl- 85 inder, a driving shaft secured tosaid fly "said auxiliary gears to said pistons, and arc shaped housingscarried by the fly wheel contiguous to said cylinders, and having.communication therewith at one end and with the fluid-containingportion of the casing at the other end.

,6. A transmisslon mechanism, comprising a casing contalnmg a fluidmedium, a fly a plurality of cylinders, a piston in each cyl inder, adriving shaft secured to said fly wheel, a gearcarried by the fly wheeland adapted to rotate about the central axis of the fly wheel,relatively to the latter, a

driven shaft secured to said gear, a plurality of auxiliary gearsarranged externally of and meshing with said first named gear,

-means for transmitting the movement. of

said auxiliary gears to said pistons, arc shaped housings carried by thefly wheel contiguous to said cylinders, and having communication,therewith at one end' and v with the fluid-containing portion of thecas-- ing at the other end, and means for control ling communicationbetween said are shaped housings and said cylinders simultaneously. v

' CHARLES A. GRO f wheel disposed within the casing and having

